AHC: USA allies with Russia in Crimean War

So the USA was one of the most friendly nations to Russia during the Crimean war and the newspapers leaned heavily to supporting the Russian Empire. So I'm wondering, Is there any way to get the US formally involved as a combatant in the Crimean War on the side of the Russian Empire?

If so how would this affect Austria's decision process in deciding whom to side with?

Could the US take Canada? Could the Russo-American (possibly even Austrian) Alliance win?
 

Germaniac

Donor
The United States would be embarrassed. The United States army was about 16,000 men strong, at best. While they easily defeated the Mexican Army, the British/French are not the Mexican Army. If for some ASB reason the united states declares war the monroe doctrine will be voided and the British and French will likely solicit Mexico with investments and debt relief bringing them into the war.

I'm not really sure if there is even enough support anywhere in the country to go for the war as both the South and New England have common benefits in keeping Great Britain friendly.

The Austrians wouldn't care either way if the United States joined. The US was a non entity back then and had little to no standing with the ancient powers of europe, certainly the Haspburgs wouldnt care about the upstart americans.
 
Honestly, official support is very unlikeable if not out right ASB.

American Isolationism was a very powerful tenet of American politics. Unless American interests are directly threatened in some way by Great Britain or France then there's no way for the US to get involved.

At most the US might offer to shelter Russian ships in it's harbors or something like that but tangible useful aid is not going to happen.

Now my knowledge of the era is limited and thus I can't think of any pre-ACW issues the US and GB or France might have with each other that could cause out right war.

Now hypothetically if the US did get involved it really wouldn't affect Austria much since remember that before the Spanish-American war, the US was seen as a minor regional power at best. It wasn't until after that war that the US was seen as one of the Great Powers and even then it was a minor one. WW1 was what really pushed the US to true Great power status.

I highly doubt the US could take Canada.
 
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